Let It Ride
by DreamerHorse
Summary: Hidden in the forest behind the Swan's small farm is a trail that leads to a mysterious white house whose owners only come out at night. Isabella Dwyer has just moved to her father's farm and is determined to find out these people's secrets. Just what are they and what do they want with Bella? Canon Pairings & Rated M for later lemons!
1. ONE

**AN: New story for you folks! I'm sorry I deleted the others, but to be honest I couldn't continue with a bunch of stories that I could never work on. This time I'm not forcing myself to write, I'm just letting the story flow through me. And what better than to create an original plot with our favorite characters?**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does. All I claim is the plot.**

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><p>Life is not so easy when you have to move to a different place. For one, I was being uprooted from a life I was comfortable with. But my mom had gotten a new job in another town and state, and the housing was rented. If I wanted to keep my parrot and my horse, I would have to move in with my dad.<p>

Let me clarify. I live on a ranch with my mom Renee and my younger sister Clary—short for Clarissa. My name is Isabella Dwyer, and my parents are divorced.

My father is the police chief of Forks, Washington; and he has a pasture and barn with two horses. There's an extra stall for Eclipse, my black Arabian mare. Also, Dad doesn't mind birds, so Félix—my african grey parrot—will be able to stay.

It's a long flight to Washington, especially with a horse and parrot in tow. But my mom paid extra to ensure they'll have a safe flight, and I'm glad that both my parents are well off when it comes to money.

Walking off the plane, with my parrot and luggage in tow and my horse waiting outside to loaded into my Dad's trailer, I search for the familiar face. Up ahead I notice my dad waiting, and I run to him.

"Bella!" my dad says when he sees me.

"Dad," I say, grateful to see him.

Dad hugs me then pulls back, looking at my luggage.

"Why don't we put your stuff and Félix in the truck and get your horse," he murmurs.

I nod and we head out. Once we reach the truck I put everything in it, then look to dad. I had never shipped a horse before.

"We'll just drive around back and load her up. You have her papers right?" he asks.

I nod. We get into the truck and I pull Eclipse's papers out as well as the sheet of paper they'd given me before they'd loaded her up into the plane. A sort of proof of ownership, I guess.

"There she is," dad says.

I smile at the sight of Eclipse. Two security guys are holding her lead rope, waiting for us to claim her. Climbing out of the truck, I head their way.

After showing them the papers we are allowed to load her up and leave. She is calm and doesn't put up a fuss.

* * *

><p>An hour later we arrive at home. Dad takes Félix inside and I head around to unload Eclipse from the truck. It only takes a few minutes to open the back and lower the ramp. I untie her and lead her down.<p>

Eclipse observes her surroundings with a keen eye. She flicks her ears and whinnies loudly, as if protesting her new home.

"I know girl," I say with a sigh. "This is our new home."

I rub her nose and began walking her toward the barn. The stables are well kept. Dad has his own personal stable hand, after all. But now I would be helping out. Horses _are _hard work, you know.

We reach the stable and I lead Eclipse through the open door. There's a boy brushing down Chance, Dad's bay thoroughbred gelding. In the other stall is Moonlight, a grey paso fino.

The boy turns at my approach and smiles, recognizing me. His skin is dark, he's Native American.

"Hi, you must be Isabella. I'm Tyler," he says.

I nod, grasping Eclipse's lead rope tighter.

"Just Bella," I correct him.

Tyler laughs.

"Alright," he says.

He turns his attention to Eclipse.

"And who is this?" Tyler wonders, staring at Eclipse.

"Eclipse Solace. But her barn name is just Eclipse," I inform him.

"She's beautiful. I'm guessing Arabian?" Tyler walks away from Chance and moves to Eclipse, running his hand down her side.

"Yea, she's purebred," I say with a wry smile.

"She must have cost a fortune," Tyler says, moving back to Chance to finish grooming him.

"Yep." I pop the 'p'.

I move to the free stall in the barn and lead Eclipse in. She snorts as I unclip the lead rope and leave the stall. I make sure to close the stall door behind me. Knowing Eclipse though, she won't move a muscle, she's that well trained.

"See you later," Tyler says.

I nod, waving to him.

"See ya," I respond.

I head back up to the house. Seeing the truck, I move toward it, only for dad to stop me.

"Don't worry about it," he says. "Everything is already in your room."

I beam at him.

"Thanks Dad," I tell him.

"Félix is also in the living room in his new cage," dad says.

I nod at him, still beaming, before running into the house and stopping at Félix and his new cage. He's playing with a rope toy, pulling on it and talking to himself.

"Félix is a good boy. Félix will love his new home," he muttered to himself.

I laugh, amused. He must be repeating what dad said to him.

Félix looks up then, but quickly refocuses his attention on his toy again.

Sighing, I continue on to my room. My bags are on my bed. Everything had been shipped in advance, so I now have everything from my old room at home in Phoenix, Arizona.

Against the wall, there is eight boxes full of my stuff just waiting to be unpacked. I nod to myself and get started, first unpacking my clothes and putting them in my dresser and closet. Then I focus on the boxes, unpacking them one by one.

It's not easy but I did it anyways. Besides, this room needs to scream that that I love horses. Trophies from show jumping, pictures of Eclipse and some other horses my mom had owned, posters from horse magazines, and varies horse figurines litter my room by the time I have finished.

To top it off I pull my tack from the box it is in. I have a top of the line Western saddle and pride for pleasure riding and my top of the line English saddle and bridle for horse shows and training. I couldn't wait to set up the jumps that are in dad's tack room and begin practicing again.

To put it in plain English, horses are my life, heart, and soul.

I move my tack to dad's tack room and sigh when I'm done.

All that unpacking had taken the rest of the day and it is now dark. I have always loved riding at night, and sometimes have had trouble sleeping because of it. So I'd get up and go for a midnight ride, before going back to bed.

I don't want dad to worry, so I write a quick note, set it on the kitchen table, and head back outside to the barn. Eclipse is waiting in her stall. She's used to these midnight rides. Though it wasn't midnight.

I check my watch. Eight o'clock.

I quickly tack up Eclipse with my western tack and haul myself into the saddle. Nudging her into a trot, I set off for the trails behind the house. I know they are there, but I have never ventured onto them. Now I wonder why I have never went for a ride on them.

Tonight, Eclipse and I will ride, and find out where they lead.


	2. TWO

**AN: Another chapter for you folks. Thanks to those who reviewed, favorited, and followed. You all make my day. I'm going to go for a every few days updating schedule. I can't promise to update everyday but I will update often. Kay? Good. Enjoy this one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does. All I claim is the plot.**

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><p>Eclipse trots along the path as I look around. The forest looks wonderful in the dark at night, and I feel safe with Eclipse with me. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, I urge her into a gallop. I know if I look behind us, I will see her hoof prints etched into the trail.<p>

The wind blows my hair into a chaotic mess as we go, and I know I'm going to be exhausted when I settle down into bed.

Up ahead there's a fork in the trail. I slow Eclipse to a walk and consider whether or not to go left or right. After a moment, I laugh to myself.

"Which way, Eclipse?" I ask my mare.

She snorts and nudges my right leg. I chuckle and pat her big head.

"To the right it is." I nudge her into a trot, wondering where this will lead us.

We follow the trail at an easy trot for a while. The forest suddenly goes silent and I swallow, before I take a deep breath. Up ahead, the forest opens up into a clearing. In that clearing sits a large white three story house. But that wasn't what was wrong with the picture.

The thing that had me curious was that every single light was on in the house.

I pull Eclipse to a stop once we reach it and sit in the saddle. I grasp the saddle horn and wonder what bothers me about the house. It wasn't just that the lights were just on, I realize. There's no garage, no cars, no means of transportation. Whoever lives here walks or runs from point a to point b.

Just then a curtain quivers as someone peeks out. A ball of nerves forms in my stomach as the door opens and a boy peeks out.

The boy looks about seventeen years of age. His hair is reddish brown, like a brand new penny and his skin is a snowy white. But what really gets me is his eyes. They're a beautiful emerald green, and they _glow_.

Without thought I turn Eclipse around and nudge her into a face paced gallop. She thunders down the trail, tail arched high, hooves pounding into the soft mud.

"Hey!" the boy yells. His voice is like velvet, with a musical tone to it.

However, by the term I consider that, Eclipse and I are long gone. I follow the trail back home, wondering why I am fleeing. Maybe I'm just a big coward, but I can't help myself. I _had _been trespassing after all. After ten minutes we arrive home. I slip out of the saddle and lead Eclipse to the barn, checking the time. It's nine thirty pm.

I head to Eclipse's stall and walk her in, turning to face her. She nickers, nudging her muzzle into my palm.

I quietly untack Eclipse, thinking about that boy. He was just so… handsome. And beautiful, without a doubt. Something about him drew me to him. I decide then tomorrow at school I will ask someone about the house and the people who live in it.

I walk out of the stall with the saddle and bridle in my arms, closing the door behind me and heading to the tack room. I hang them up, before l head back to the house. I need to get ready for bed.

After all, today has been more than a little eventful. I moved to a new place and that white house in the forest contains a beautiful boy. A boy who has glowing emerald green eyes. How strange, people's eyes don't glow.

The house is quiet. The note on the kitchen table is gone. So dad got my note. I'm glad he didn't have a chance to become worried. Late night rides are more than normal with me. Especially after finding that white house.

I head upstairs. The light in my dad's room is on and I hear the TV. He's still up. Probably waiting for me to come home, I muse silently to myself. But still, I let him know I'm home.

"I'm back dad. I'm going to get ready for bed," I say outside his bedroom door.

"Alright Bells," he responds. I smile at the old nickname.

I head to my room across the hall and close the door behind me. Turning to my dresser, I find my blue silk pajamas. Silently, I strip down to my underwear and then pull them on. They feel cool against my skin.

I turn and pick up my dirty clothes before dumping them in my clothes hamper. Then I pull down the covers on my bed. Satisfied, I set my alarm clock before turning the lights off. After I feel like I'm done, I slip into bed.

Sleep takes me quickly.

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><p>During the night I swear I saw someone standing at the foot of my bed. And I swear it's the reddish brown haired boy with the strange glowing green eyes. Emerald green, of course. But I blink my eyes and he's not there. Shaking it off, I go back to sleep. But still, his face haunts my dreams.<p>

I wake up and sigh, having dreamed that the boy I'd seen at the white house loved me. But I know it's just a silly dream and so I get up and get ready for the day. Once I'm dressed I grab a few sugar cubes and go out to feed Eclipse.

She's waiting in her stall, and when she sees me she leans her head all the way out, hoping for a sugar cube. I give her one and rub her nose.

In response Eclipse pulls her lips back and showcases her teeth in all their glory.

I laugh.

"Stop smiling. We both know I'd cave. You love your sugar," I tell her.

Eclipse snorts. Shaking my head, I give her the other two sugar cubes and head for the tack room. I grab a bag of feed and a buck and pour a measured amount of feed for Eclipse. Then I head back to Eclipse and let myself into her stall. I hang the bucket of feed up and take her water bucket.

Going outside I dump the water, rinse the bucket, and give her some fresh water. Sighing, I walk back inside and hang that one up as well. Taking care of horses is no easy feat. She is a big animal that requires care. It's a good thing I love horses.

I repeat with the other horses and go inside the house to clean up. Dad is sitting at the kitchen table enjoying a cup of coffee. I smile at the sight.

"I fed and watered the horses," I say.

"Good," he says. "Though Ty usually takes of it." He smiles at me.

"I can feed Eclipse," I say with forced calm.

Dad chuckles at me, his eyebrows crinkling.

"She's your horse. Do what you want kid," he says. He gets up and puts his mug in the sink. "As long as you're taking good care of your horse I don't mind how you go about it."

I chew on my bottom lip and head upstairs to clean up. I kick off my boots and slide on my sneakers. The bathroom is the next stop, and I wash my hands and brush my hair. Deemed clean, I grab my backpack and go back downstairs. Dad is in the hallway now, slipping his coat on.

"How am I getting to school?" I ask my dad.

He looks at me.

"You have your driver's license, right kid?" he asks me.

I nod, wondering where he was going.

"Well, since I'm using the cruiser for work, you can use the truck for school. The trailer has been unhitched. I'll see about getting you your own truck," he tells me.

This is good news. I would hate being drove around in dad's police cruiser. And the truck is free, considering we don't have any need of transporting the horses right now. I beam at dad and he grabs a pair of keys from the coat hanger.

"The keys to the truck," he explains to me.

I am overjoyed as he hands them to me. I skip outside to the truck and unlock it. Climbing in, I close the door and buckle up. It's with great pleasure that I start the truck and hear the engine rumble. Dad waves at the door as I pull out and start the drive to school.

When I pull into the school parking lot I park at an available spot and turn the truck off. Then I sit, taking in deep breaths.

_I can do this, _I tell myself. _No one wishes me harm. Yet._

I look out the window of the truck and see the front office. All around students wander the grounds, hanging out with friends and the like. Its green _everywhere. _Squaring my shoulders, I open the truck door and take the first step to being a student at Forks High School.


	3. THREE

**AN: Golly. No Edward in this one but some rumors for sure. Keep reviewing guys, I love hearing everything you have to say.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does. All I claim is the plot.**

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><p>The secretary is named Mrs. Cope. I know that because it is on her name plate, on the big desk that takes up the entirety of the office. She has curly red hair, blue eyes, glasses and a little too much makeup. Even more plants are situated around the office. I was amused. How many plants did one place need?<p>

"Hello dear," Mrs. Cope says.

"Hi, I'm Isabella Dwyer. I'm new here," I say. I just want to get to my first class as soon as possible.

Her eyes light up with recognition.

"Daughter of the police chief?" she asks.

I nod.

"Yes," I sigh.

"I got your papers right here." She gathers a small pile of papers, then pulls two papers from the stack. "Here is the map and a sheet you need to have signed by all your teachers."

I smile kindly at her. She takes out another paper.

"And this is your schedule." She hands everything to me. "Have a nice day dear."

"You too," I say as I turn and leave the office.

I walk to a picnic table and sort through the papers till I find my schedule. I smile at the classes I have. Everything seems decent.

1st Hour – US History

2nd Hour—World Civics

3rd Hour—Math 1

4th Hour—Biology

Lunch Break

5th Hour—English 2

6th Hour—Government

7th Hour—Art

I put everything else but my schedule, the slip that all my teachers had to sign, and the map into my binder. Then I slide my binder into my backpack and sit at the table.

It doesn't take long for someone to realize that I'm new. A short girl with wildly curly brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin bounces up to me. She's grinning and thrusts her hand out for me to shake.

"Hi! I'm Jessica. You must be the new girl Isabella Dwyer," she says excitedly.

I nod and shake her hand.

"Yea, but just call me Bella. Isabella is a bit too formal, ya know?"

"Great! I totally agree with the name thing. What's your first class?" She's literally buzzing with energy.

I quickly decide that this girl is a bit much for my taste in friends. But she's my first friend here and I know better than to reject that. In Phoenix people always looked at me strange for liking horses and getting down and dirty mucking stalls. But that was normal for me and still is.

I hand her my schedule and she quickly scans over it with an eager eye.

"We got US History, Biology, and English 2 together," she says, handing my schedule back to me.

I nod my head and am glad that it's only three classes together. However, she might know of the white house and copper headed boy who lives there, and maybe she might know what he is. He's definitely not normal, after all.

The bell rings and we head to class.

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><p>School is rather uneventful. I meet Angela, Lauren—who hates horses with a passion—, Eric, Tyler—stable hand boy—, and Mike. At lunch we sit together and I prepare myself to ask them about the white house and the people who live in it.<p>

"So," I start once everyone is seated at the table. "I was riding my horse last night and came across this house on the trails behind my house. All the lights were on and the boy who came out was extremely pale. Can anyone explain that?" I'm out of breath by the time I'm done talking.

They all laugh.

"I'm assuming that you came across the Cullen's place," Angela says.

Mike nods. "Did by chance his eyes glow?" he asks.

I grin, finding it easy to be with these people.

"You betcha, they glowed. What kind of freaky creature are they?" I ask. I'd gone over this a ton of times in my head and still had no idea as to what they are.

Tyler sighs and leans in to the table.

"Legend has it that they are vampires," Tyler pauses. "I've ridden by their house plenty of times, day and night, and they're only up and about at night."

Jessica grins at this.

"See… Vampires. What else avoids the day like it's out to get them? Vampires!" Jessica nods to herself like this makes the most sense.

"Which one did you see?" Lauren asks.

"Well… he had reddish brown hair and green eyes. He looked about seventeen." The boy just wouldn't leave my thoughts. Mr. Handsome, why couldn't he be my Mr. Perfect.

"That's Edward Cullen. He's single but you'll be lucky for him to give you the time of day," Jessica says. "Really, all their family is antisocial, what with only being up a night."

Angela nods. "Then there's Jasper and Rosalie Hale. They're blonde and twins. Then Emmett and Alice Cullen. Emmett has dark curly hair and is super buff. Alice is super small and has short black hair," Angela informs me.

I nod, taking it all in.

Eric looks at me.

"The father figure is Carlisle. He's blonde and works a night shift at the hospital. He _never _works in the day. And his wife is Esme, she has light brown hair. Nobody ever really sees her, she's like a stay at home mom, but at night." Eric grins.

At least I know who they are now. I decide to head back to their house tonight. Maybe Edward Cullen would come out and I could get to know him.

Inwardly I scoff to myself. Why would a boy who doesn't care to give people the time of day ever show an interest in me. I am just setting myself up for disappointment, but I can't help it.

The bell rings and everyone gathers their stuff and dumps their trays. I head to English 2, wondering what will happen when I go to the white house tonight. And again, I scold myself.

School ends and I eagerly head to the truck. I get in and start it up, pulling into the line of cars waiting to leave the school. The drive home is short, and when I arrive I run to the house. I hang up the keys, put my backpack on my bed, and pull on my breeches, a flannel shirt, and my riding boots.

Going to the barn, I grab the jumps and begin setting them up. Fifteen minutes later Tyler arrives and begins helping with the horses. He politely asks about how I want him to tend to Eclipse.

I wave a hand in exasperation.

"Don't worry about it. She's my horse, I can take care of her. But if it makes you feel better, we can alternate mucking her stall." Tyler agrees, and I finish with the jumps.

I head back inside and tie up Eclipse. I begin brushing her down, gently moving the brush in sure strokes. Then I clean her hoofs, and tack her up, using my English tack and saddle pad.

She's patient and calm. I slide into the saddle and head for the jumps set outside in the pasture. But the instant she catches on she starts prancing, just wanting to clear the jumps.

I laugh, patting her neck.

"Settle down girl, we have plenty of time. No need to get your tail in a twist," I soothe.

We reach the pasture and I urge her into a trot. The jump nears and I lean forward in the saddle. We're flying then, and for a split second I take a deep breathe in, just reveling in the moment.

Then we touch ground and I urge her into a gallop. We rush toward the next jump.

Bliss.

This is all I know.


	4. FOUR

**AN: Here's chapter four. Enjoy folks. I definitely enjoyed writing it. :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does. All I claim is the plot.**

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><p>The time remaining until it is dark passes slowly. I untack Eclipse and walk her, letting her cool down. She follows without complaint and I'm reminded that mom bought her for a reason. She's the perfect horse, having not experienced any abuse or harsh treatment. She literally lives to please me.<p>

I put her in her stall once she's cooled down and move the jumps back to where they'd been before. Afterwards I sit on a bale of hay, trying to make sense of my life.

Surprisingly it'd been a lot easier than I had thought to fit in. Most people accepted me for who I am without question here. But at my old school in Phoenix I was ridiculed for liking horses. Sure I had a small band of friends, but the popular girls made my life a living hell at school.

A living hell that I endured because I stand true in what I love. Horses are one of my biggest passions in life, and _nothing _will ever change that. Not even some slut trying to purposely dirty my image and shockingly succeeding.

I watch the gray sky, noticing a flock of geese flying high overhead. I think about the Cullens, and my plan to return to their house tonight. I refuse to flee this time from fear of the unknown. Tonight I will make my stand, and hopefully prove whether or not they are vampires.

I get up and dust my pants off. Standing up straight, I head inside to eat supper. I would need all the energy I could get tonight. Maybe some hash browns would be good.

I walk through the living room and see Félix. He starts talking upon seeing me. I smile at my bird and decide to give him fresh pellets and water. After he was fed and watered I open the cage door.

"How's my pretty bird doing? " I coo.

"Pretty bird. Félix is a pretty bird," Félix says and makes his way to the front of the cage.

I reach a hand out and gently rub the back of his neck.

"Ah," Félix says. He closes his eyes and extends his right wing.

"Pretty bird," I coo again.

I spend fifteen minutes interacting with Félix. African Grey parrots are very social and I know I need to spend more time with him or risk him doing something such as plucking himself.

I walk into the kitchen and see dad. I smile at his forming sitting at the kitchen table and move toward the fridge.

"Done working Eclipse Bells?" he asks. I notice he is eating a TV dinner.

"Yea, I figure I can sign up for some horse shows here," I say, considering showing some time. It would be nice.

Dad nods, wiping his mouth.

"It'd be good for you to get out," he says.

I pull out the frozen hash browns from the freezer and set three out on a paper plate. I put the rest in the freezer and start cooking them in a pan on the stove.

"Fresh air is always good," I murmur, staring out the kitchen window. I can see Chance out in the pasture now, grazing. Tyler must have let him out.

Dad nods.

* * *

><p>I find myself anticipating seeing Edward Cullen now, as I tack up Eclipse with my western tack. She snorts and paws at the ground, sensing my mood.<p>

After I make sure the saddle is cinched right and her bridle isn't loose, I haul myself into the saddle and look up at the sky. It's dark now, and prime time for seeing Edward Cullen and his strange family. For once I wonder if he was mad at me for bolting. I sure hope not.

Not ten minutes ago I'd told dad that I was going for a ride. He'd told me to be back before ten thirty, so I'd get plenty of sleep. I'd agreed, because I know he's right.

I nudge eclipse into a canter, and we start off for the trail. I find it easily, not at all hidden within the forest. Eclipse's hooves beat into the ground, and I urge her to a gallop. We hurdle through the path, and when I see the fork in the trail, I urge her to go right.

I still don't know where the left path leads, but that doesn't matter right now.

It seems all too soon that I see the white house with all its lights on. I nudge Eclipse to slow down, and she complies. We stop fifteen feet away from the porch, and I stare at the house, waiting for movement.

Before I can even think the curtain is twitching and the door is opening. The bronze haired boy—Edward Cullen—steps out of the house and cocks his head at me.

"You again," he says in his velvet voice.

"Yep, me _again_," I say sarcastically.

"Why are you here?" he asks. "And who are you?"

I slide out of the saddle and grasp Eclipse's reins.

"I'm here because I'm curious about you. And my name is Isabella Dwyer, but you can just call me Bella. I just moved in with my father a few days ago. He lives at the farm down the trail, opposite of the way I came here," I explain to him.

"I'm Edward Cullen," he says, confirming what I had heard about him. He sits on a chair that's on the porch and nods towards another one. "You can sit."

I nod in response and tie Eclipse's reins to the porch railing. Moving to the chair, I sit beside him.

"Why did you move to your father's farm?" he asks, and he truly looks curious about the reason I moved.

I sigh, and look him in the eye.

"I moved because the ranch my mom owned was sold. To put it frankly, my mom helped horses that had issues. Bucking, rearing, you name it, she figured out the reason and helped the horses and their owners. But my mom saw a better job that paid better, and the horses had to go. The house was rented, and they didn't allow parrots, and of course you can't have a horse at rented house.

"So I decided to live with my dad. I knew he had a barn with a free stall, and two horses already. And he doesn't mind birds, especially smart birds who don't know the meaning of shut up. So I moved in with him. That's my story. What's yours?" I say, fiddling with my hands.

Edward shrugs, looking sheepish.

"I've been living with my family here for the past two years. Before that we lived in Canada with some relatives. There really isn't much to tell," he says.

I narrow my eyes, placing my hands on my hips.

"You say there isn't much to tell and yet everyone at school claims that you're a creature of the night. That you're a…"I struggle to get the word out. "Vampire."

Edward mutters something under his breath.

"Do you really believe that?" he says. "That my family and I are vampires.

I laugh at his words.

"I don't know. Are you?" I ask.

I wonder if he's trying to avoid the question, because Edward averts his head from me. But what I hear next shocks me.

"Yes," he mutters. "Yes, my family and I are vampires."

"You're shucking me right? Do you sleep in a coffin and turn into bats?" I wonder. The thought of being to shape shift is interesting.

Edward laughs then, seeing that I'm not scared or horrified.

"A lot of the myths are true. Yes we turn into bats, and yes we sleep in coffins. Though anything holy doesn't negatively affect us. We're not damned in that sense, but I'm not sure we contain souls." He shrugs and I see the first smile from him. It's beautifully crooked.

I check my watch and notice the time. It's nine forty-seven pm. A lot my time has passed then I thought it would.

"I have to be back at ten thirty," I inform him solemnly.

"Will you come back tomorrow night? It's surprisingly… _nice _talking to you," he asks, and I wonder if he even has any friends outside of his family.

I smile at him, more than happy at the thought of visiting him tomorrow.

"Sure. What time do you get up?" I ask.

"At nightfall," he says, looking happy that I'd said yes.

"Friends?" I muse.

"Friends," he agrees.


	5. FIVE

**AN: Sorry this one is a little late. Enjoy it and continue reviewing, favoriting, and following. I get so happy and excited when I see a new one.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, Stephanie Meyers does. All I claim is the plot.**

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><p>Not too long later I untie Eclipse and swing myself into the saddle before heading home. Edward was sad to see me go but I had to sleep for school.<p>

We gallop down the trail and I take in a deep breath to clear my head. Edward really is something else. Before I moved here I had no clue vampires existed. But now that I know they do I begin wondering what else exists.

Eclipse neighs shrilly, her breath fogging in the cool night air. I look around and see the farm beyond the trees. Home is a wonderful sight and I grasp the reins a little bit tighter. We breaks through the trees and I slow Eclipse to an easy trot. The barn is just ahead, and when we reach it I pull her to a stop.

Discounting from Eclipse's back, I head inside the barn and lead her to her stall. She stands quietly as I untack her and then leave the stall, making sure that the stall is locked when I leave. I hang the saddle, bridle, and saddle blanket up and then head toward the house.

Félix is snoozing in his cage, one claw held up against his body. I smile, loving the African Grey parrot more than words can describe. I love a lot of things, but there's just something about birds that draws me to them. It's the same way with horses too.

I walk toward my room, and then I get ready for bed, changing into my pajamas and brushing my hair. At last I allow myself to fall into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

The next morning I get ready for school, interact with Félix some—who soaks up the attention—and then make sure to eat a strawberry pop tart. I feed Eclipse and give her fresh water. Then I go to the truck and drive myself the school.

School is fairly good today. We're learning about the Civil war in U.S. History, and in World Civilization, we're learning about the Olmecs. Math 1 isn't that hard either. I breeze through the problems without issue. In biology we watch a clip and then do a worksheet on Fungi and molds. It's time for lunch then, and I find I'm excited to talk with my new friends.

As I wait in line for my food, Jessica steps in behind me.

"Did you talk to Edward Cullen last night?" she asks.

I chuckle to myself.

"Yea, but I'll explain once we're sitting," I say, turning to look at her.

She nods, and then it's my turn get my food. It's pizza day, so I grab that, a salad with ranch dressing, and some corn with a chocolate milk. In other words, it's a decent lunch, but the pizza is greasier than I would have liked. Either way, it's still food and I'm hungry.

Once I am sitting I turn to my friends.

"Okay, so I talked to Edward Cullen last night," I begin, a smile tugging on my lips.

There's exclamations of shock from everyone. I just nod to them, amused at their reactions.

"How in the world did you manage to get him to talk to you?" Jessica asks incredulously.

"I rode over to their house, waited for him to come out, and confronted him. Of course, he asked who I am and what I was doing there," I explain patiently. I take a bite of my pizza and a swish of my milk.

"What did you tell him?" Angela asks.

I shrug, not really knowing what to say. But I spoke anyways.

"Just that I moved to my dad's farm and that I was curious about him." I look down at my food. Do I tell them about him being a vampire? Or would it be best kept secret?

"Well? What did he say?" Tyler asks. "You've got to tell us. I've rode to their house more times than I can count and they've never attempted to talk to me."

I look at them then. The roar of the cafeteria makes it hard to concentrate on what I'm going to say but I know they won't let it rest till they know.

"He told me that they've been living here for the past two years and that before that they lived in Canada with some relatives. And that…" Here I pause, remembering him telling me that he and his family are vampires.

"Well? What else did he say?" Lauren drills me for the answer.

"That they're vampires," I say quietly.

The entire table breaks out in a mixture of shock and surprise.

"Really?" Eric says. I nod. "This is huge news. Never before have we had it confirmed. This so going into next month's paper." He's so elated at the revelation.

"I don't know what they'll do if it gets out though. I'd prefer you keep it quiet until I know, Eric," I say seriously. They might drain me of all my blood for all I know! But that really doesn't fit Edward's kind personality.

"Alright," Eric says.

Mike laughs then.

"Vampires. Who would have thought? Though I think I'll stay away from them. They might decide to kill me for my blood, you know," Mike says, grinning amused. He clasps his hands together.

Agreement goes around the table. But still, tonight, I'm returning to the Cullen home. Edward is now my new friend and I'm going to keep my promise to him. If a friend is what he wants then I'll be it for sure. Not to mention he's attractive.

I remember that night where I saw him standing at the foot of the bed, though at the time I hadn't known it was him. Now I plan on confronting him about it tonight, and maybe I'll ask him about his feeding habits. I'm so curious about his vampiric status and what it entails.

The bell rings and I dump my tray before heading to English 2. We're working on adverbs now, and I struggle in completing it correctly. But I'm relieved when I've finished. In Government we do half of a worksheet and in art we work on drawing a ship by coping box by box onto a grid. I'm happy when the bell rings and I can rush out to the truck. I slide into the front seat and drive home.

* * *

><p>When I park in front of the house I sit there for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next. After a few minutes I decide to talk with Félix some before mucking Eclipse's stall. The african grey parrot is sitting calmly in his cage when I walk into the room, but when he notices me he starts chattering up a storm.<p>

"Félix step up. You want an apple? Apple. Who's a good boy? Pretty bird. Such a pretty bird. Does Félix want out? How's my favorite parrot?" He is eager to see me with the amount of phrases he is saying.

I laugh gently at him.

"I missed you too, Félix." I unlock his cage and let him out to the top.

I spend half an hour with my boy before I decide I need to get mucking Eclipse's stall. I head outside to the barn and get started. Shoveling horse manure into a wheelbarrow is not a fun task, but I do it because I love Eclipse.

Tyler arrives then and I watch as he lets dad's two horses out into the pasture. He smiles when he sees me.

"Hi Bella!" he greets me.

"Hi Ty. I'm getting ready to much Eclipse's stall," I say.

"Alright. I'll leave you too it," he says, walking into the tack room.

Fifteen minutes later and Eclipse's stall is clean. I smile to myself, pleased with my work. It's five now and I need to eat something. I'll need the energy if I'm going to visit him. I eat a pop tart and drink a glass of milk before heading back to the barn.

I tie Eclipse up and begin grooming her. She whickers softly as the brush runs down her side in confident strokes. It's relaxing grooming my mare and I find great comfort in the simple task. I listen to the birds chirping and feel the breeze on my skin. I'm suddenly sad for Edward, knowing he can't experience this due to the sun.

I finish and I put Eclipse back into her stall. I put the grooming kit up and head inside the house to clean up. In the bathroom, I run my hands under the cool water and wash my face and hands. I take a deep breath and check the time. My watch says it's six pm.

I check the daylight and notice the sun setting. The perfect time to write dad a note—he's still at work—and go for a ride to Edward's place.

It's funny. I've only been here for almost a week but I already have friends I'm close to. And there's just something irresistible about Edward—that keeps me going back to him.

I write the note and tack up Eclipse with my western tack. Swinging myself up into the saddle, I smile brightly and nudge Eclipse into a gallop. I urge her to the right, leaving the barn and heading to the trail in the forest. By now she's gotten the drill on where we're going, and she flicks her ears curiously.

I pat Eclipse on the neck and we _ride._


End file.
